


An Unlikely Team

by Emachinescat



Category: American Dragon: Jake Long, Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Gen, Humor, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-06
Updated: 2005-10-11
Packaged: 2018-01-13 07:04:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 12,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1217041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emachinescat/pseuds/Emachinescat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Monkey Fist and Huntsman have teamed up in order to defeat their respective foes. With Monkey Ninjas, goblins, dragons, nacos, spy gear, magic potion, secrets, regrets, and tears, no one is going to escape from this situation without changing somehow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Huntsman Has a New Ally

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old story, one I wrote in 2005 when I was 13 years old. As such, the writing is probably not as refined as it is now, but I think it's still a pretty good little read and I certainly enjoyed writing it 9 years ago... :) 
> 
> Please read, review, and enjoy. :)

It was a cold night in New York City. All of the buildings had their windows tightly shut, and all of the heaters were on high. On the outskirts of Central Park was the Huntslair. Huntsmaster and Huntsgirl waited by the entrance, not showing any signs of being cold. Suddenly, something stirred in the bushes.

"Show yourself," demanded Huntsmaster. A tall, thin man with hairy hands and feet, and wearing a black ninja costume approached. Several monkeys dressed in the same ensemble followed.

"Hello," said the man. "I am Monkey Fist. I presume that you are Huntsmaster and…"

"Huntsgirl."

"Ah, yes. You said to meet me here because you had something that I want…"

Huntsmaster's red eyes gleamed eagerly. "And you have something that I want in return… shall we open the negotiations?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the city, Jake Long was woken up with a hand shaking his shoulder. "Wha—?" he muttered sleepily, barely opening his eyes.

"Jake, wake up! We have dragon emergency!" It was Fu Dog.

Jake yawned and said, "Seriously, Fu, can this wait until, like, tomorrow? It's late, and…"

"No!" said Fu Dog, pulling Jake out of bed. "Hurry up and get ready, 'cause Gramps has found out that the Huntsclan has a new ally, and they are having a meeting tonight. At midnight! If we hurry, we may be able to get a glimpse of this new ally, but we've got to get to the Huntslair – and fast!"

* * *

At the Huntslair, Monkey Fist and Huntsmaster discussed their idea. "So," said Huntsmaster, "if I get you the amulet that will make you the ultimate monkey master, then you will assist me in capturing, unmasking, and defeating my arch foe, the American Dragon?"

Suddenly a voice rang out, "Sorry, dudes, but this party is over!"

"The American Dragon!" growled Huntsmaster.  
Jake swooped in, grinning. He was a large red and yellow dragon: the one and only American Dragon. Huntsmaster turned to Monkey Fist. "Our agreement?"

Monkey Fist yelled, "Monkey ninjas, attack!"

"Say what?" Jake laughed. "Did you say monkey ninjas? What kind of freak are you?"

"The kind that will defeat you," said Monkey Fist. As Jake flew, the monkeys jumped onto his back; he swerved, and ran smack into the wall.

"Oooh…" he groaned, and then shaking his head, got up. He started to fight the monkeys, bewildered. "Man, you primates don't quit," he said as one bit his ear. At that moment, a blue dragon crashed through the wall.

He roared fiercely, and the monkeys shrank back in fright. A green light filled the room, and Huntsmaster's voice filled the air. "This isn't over, Dragon! I'll slay you yet!"  
And then the room was empty, with no sound other than Jake's saying, "Aww, man!"

 


	2. An Unexpected Meeting

In Middleton, Kim Possible was just finishing lunch. "You know," said Ron, frowning, "it really wasn't that bad. I mean, it's not a Naco, but it'll work."

"Ron," said Kim, "it is the mystery meat. There could be anything in there."

"Well, yeah, KP, that's why it's  _mystery_  meat."

"Ron, you are so—" Kim was cut off as the Kimmunicator rang. "What up, Wade?"

"Bad news—Monkey Fist's at it again."

Ron gulped. "No monkeys! I hate monkeys! Ahhhhh!"

"Ron, chill," said Kim. "So what's he up to?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I might know about someone who might."

"Okay, where?"

"New York."

"I'm there. Can you call in a favor?"

"Sure, I'll hook you up with Gustav, you know, from the flood."

"Please and thank you. Let's jet, Ron!"

"But I haven't finished my lun—"

"I said, 'Let's jet!'"

* * *

Kim and Ron quickly entered Lao Shi's shop. They looked around, but could see no one. "Hello?" said Kim.

From the back of the shop, the teens heard the voice of an old man say, "Jake! Tell customers that shop is closed! We have more important things to do!"

"Sure thing, G." A few seconds later, Jake came out. "Sorry, dudes," he said, "the shop's closed. Wait a sec. You're that Kim Possible girl. The one that fights those freaky villains, right? And he's… some guy."

"It's Ron. Ron Stoppable. The brave and totally handsome sidekick and—"

"—distraction," finished Kim.

"Sweet," said Jake. "So… what're you doing in New York?"

"We're here on… business."

"And not just any business," said Ron. "Monkey business!"

"Whoa, back up," said Jake. "Did you say 'monkey business'?"

"Sure did. Who wants to know?"

"Ron!" scolded Kim.

"No problem. Jake Long at your service."

"We came to see Lao Shi. This is his shop right? Do you work here?"

"Well, sorta. What d'ya want with Granpa?"

"He's your granddad? Cool."

"Well, one of our arch foes, Monkey Fist, is up to something, and my friend Wade thinks that your grandfather might have some idea who he has teamed up with or what he's up to," said Kim.

"Monkey Fist? He doesn't happen to have monkey ninjas, does he?"

"How do you—?"

"I met him, last night. He's teamed up with my arch foe."

"Your arch foe? But I've never heard of you, I mean, don't you have to be famous to have an arch foe?" asked Ron.

"Why are they teaming up?" asked Kim, ignoring Ron's assertion.

"Who? The monkeys?"

"No, Ron," Kim said. "Monkey Fist and…?"

"Huntsmaster," Jake supplied.

"Right," said Kim. "But why?"

"I can answer that," said Lao Shi, who had just entered the room, closely followed by Fu Dog.

"Bark. Woof," said Fu Dog, pretending that he couldn't really talk.

"I believe your 'Monkey Fist' is after an ancient magical secret," Lao Shi divulged.

"Uh, Gramps," Jake said uncertainly. "Don't you think we should, you know, ex-nay on the agic-may?"

"I've been speaking pig Latin for years," said Kim hotly. "And, I don't know how much you know about all this ancient magic junk, but Ron and I have been fighting Monkey Fist for a while now, and he's ALWAYS after some sort of magic junk. Like, an amulet that will turn him into the 'monkey king', or some kind of monkey tiki head that'll take him back in time or make him the 'ultimate monkey master'. I'm used to it."

"I'm not," Ron said shortly. "I hate monkeys."

"After last night, so do I," Jake agreed.

"Okay," said Kim. "We know what Monkey Fist wants. But what about this Huntsmaster guy? Why is he helping Monkey Fist? What does he want in return for the magical secret? And how are you guys mixed up in this whole 'magic' deal?"

"Apparently you know a bit about magic yourselves, although you are actually mortals," began Lao Shi carefully.

"What's that supposed to mean? So are you," said Kim. "You're talking like you're some kind of wizard or something. I mean, there may be ancient amulets, and magic tiki heads, but there are no wizards."

"Actually, there are, but Jake and I are not wizards. Jake is a dragon. The  _American_  Dragon, to be precise."

Jake gasped, and stared incredulously at Lao Shi. "Why did you tell them?" he hissed. "They're not magical. You said so yourself."

"Maybe not, but if we are going to defeat Monkey Fist and Huntsmaster, then we need to know each other's powers and abilities to the limit."

"Dude," said Ron finally. "I think you need to have your eyes checked. Okay, Jake is a PERSON, not a DRAGON."

"Yeah," said Kim, "those things don't even really exist. Right?"

"Oh, don't they?" said Lao Shi. "Jake, show them."

"A'ight, G, but if we get in trouble with the World Dragon Council, then we'll know who's to blame… DRAGON UP!" Instantly he was a large red and yellow dragon with sharp claws and teeth, powerful wings, and a huge tail. Kim and Ron stared. Rufus chose this moment to pop up out of Ron's pants pocket. He saw Jake, yelped, and scurried back into the relative safety of his owner's pocket. "Told, y'all," said Jake, turning back into himself.

"Well," said Kim, "this is a 9.7 on the weirdness scale."

"Sweet, my man!" said Ron. "Can you fly?"

"Now is not the time to goof around," interrupted Lao Shi. "We must find out where the Huntslair is now. We must stop them before it is too late."

"Wait, G," said Jake. "What does Huntsfreak want in return? I mean, he won't give anyone somethin' for nothin', right?"

"He probably requested assistance in his evil plot. Now, I know a goblin who can help us find the Huntslair, but we must find him quickly."

"Did you say… a goblin?" asked Kim.

"Yep," said Jake. "Do we need Ralph, G?"

"Yes, young dragon," said Lao Shi. "We need Ralph the Goblin."


	3. Ralph's Mistake

Ralph the Goblin was short, green, and a bit round. He had recently been involved in a goblin crime, and had been captured by Jake and Lao Shi. But when Jake had been kidnapped by the Huntsclan, Lao Shi offered Ralph his freedom in exchange for sniffing Jake out (goblins have highly sensitive noses). Since then, the goblin and the dragons had been on reasonable terms.

"Sure," said Ralph in his squeaky voice. "I'll help you find the Huntslair… for a price."

Ron stepped back in alarm. "That's a… a…"

"Ron, chill," said Kim. "So, what's your price?"

"I want the hairless rat," said Ralph.

"Why?" asked Kim and Ron in unison.

"Well, he is just so cute…"

"Sorry, dude, but Rufus is off limits," Ron snapped, and Rufus squeaked his agreement.

"Then no deal."

Kim frowned. "Okay, I really can't deal with this right now, okay? I had Bonnie all in my face today, Tara flirting with Josh, Mr. Barkin for home economics, mystery meat for lunch, and… and… Monkey Fist out on another 'take over the world spree.' You really don't want to get on my bad side!"

"No, dude, seriously, you don't," warned Ron. "Trust me, I've gotten on her bad side before, and it's, well, really bad…"

Just then the Kimmunicator rang. Jake looked at it curiously. "Dude, what's that?" he asked. "Sweet! You can see the person on the other line!"

"Uh… sure," said Kim. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

"I've got a lead on Monkey Fist. He's—wait, is that a goblin?"

"Yah, Wade, that's Ray—"

"Ralph."

"Whatever."

"So, where's he headed?" Ron said.

"Well, I've done some spying – I sorta hacked into NASA's satellites, hehe – and it seems Monkey Fist has teamed up with a guy named Huntsman."

"That we know," said Kim.

"And I also know that in exchange for this ancient magical secret, Monkey Fist is to help Huntsman capture, unmask, and defeat his arch foe whose name is—"

"Jake Long," finished Kim.

"How did you know?"

Jake stepped up. "Jake Long, at your service."

"Hi, Jake," said Wade. "I'm Wade. Listen, Jake, you are in danger. With Monkey Fist and Huntsman working together, then you might as well be slain."

"No worries, bro," said Jake. "Jake's got it all under control. I ain't the Am-Drag for nothing, baby."

"Oook-ay," said Wade. "Anyway, Kim, Monkey Fist is in a 'secret lair' in the Himalayas."

"Isn't he always?" said Kim. "Let's jet, Ron. And Jake, and Lao Shi, and the dog, I guess."

"Can you hook us up with a ride?" Ron asked Wade.

"No need," said Lou Shi. "Between Jake and myself, we can fly you to your destination. We are more powerful than you might think."

"But what about me?" Everyone jumped slightly. They had completely forgotten about Ralph standing so quietly out of the way.

"Sorry, dude," said Jake. "You had your chance. Dragon Up!"


	4. Monkey Fist's Evil Plan

"Your plan to capture the excessively annoying dragon is most ingenious," Huntsman said to Monkey Fist.

"Aren't my ideas always?" said the wanna-be-primate.

"As soon as I capture the American Dragon, I suppose that you will want the amulet that will without a doubt make you the 'Ultimate Monkey Master,'" Huntsgirl chimed in.

"Yes, and then I will be on my way."

"Yah," came a new voice from the corner. "On your way to jail." A teenage red-head had just stepped out of the shadows, along with Ron, Jake, and Lao Shi.

"Who is she?" asked Huntsman and Huntsgirl in unison.

"Kim Possible," Ron piped up. "She can do anything... duh!"

"Monkey ninjas, attack!" Monkey Fist screamed.

While Kim, Jake, and Lao Shi easily fought the monkey ninjas, Monkey Fist leaned over to Huntsgirl. "Thorn," he said quietly, "you shall be the one to lure the American Dragon to the trap I have set up in the back. As my reinforcement monkeys and the members of the Huntsclan fight Kim Possible, the old dragon, and the gooney sidekick, you shall fight the American Dragon, while slowly moving toward the backdoor. Do not go inside, but push him inside. As soon as he steps across the threshold," he chuckled evilly, "let's just say, everything will go a bit dark..." 


	5. The Capture

Huntsgirl did as Monkey Fist had ordered. She performed a triple flip across the room and landed next to Jake.

"Hey, hot stuff," said Jake, who (for some odd reason) made a point to flirt with his mortal enemy every chance he got.

"Dragon," growled the girl, and they started to fight, with Jake not realizing that she was slowly leading him to the back of the room.

Meanwhile, Kim, Ron, and Lao Shi were busy fighting the monkey ninjas (well, Ron was actually cowering from them, but you get the idea). "I've never seen this many monkey ninjas in my life," grunted Kim as she threw four of them off of her with difficulty. "They seem to be stronger, too."

"Yeah," agreed Ron, then paused to scream as a monkey rushed toward him. Lao Shi picked up the primate and threw it across the room. As he was doing this, six more monkeys bounded up onto the dragon's back, and it was with much determination that he was able to throw them off again.

"They don't get scared as easily, either," continued Kim as Lao Shi roared fiercely at one, which just bared its sharp teeth and attacked once again. All the while, Huntsman and Monkey Fist were watching with greatly amused expressions on their faces.

Monkey Fist nudged Huntsman slightly. "What?" said the man in annoyance.

"Sorry to bother you," said Monkey Fist irritably, "but my plan seems to be working. See how my monkey ninjas are keeping the other three busy while Thorn leads the American Dragon to his doom?"

Sounding mildly offended, Huntsman remarked, "But your so-called 'monkey ninjas' wouldn't have distracted them for a minute if I hadn't put that indestructibility spell on them."

"What is your problem?" asked Monkey Fist. "You are the one who contacted me asking for help with your plot. You said that you used your Hunts-stick-thing-a-ma-bobby to help you find a villain smart enough to help you in your evil plan. And now, I do believe that you are jealous of my genius."

"Jealous!" roared Huntsman furiously.

At the same time, Jake and Huntsgirl were almost at the door near the back of the room. With a blow that would knock out any normal human, the girl pushed Jake into the room and slammed the door in his face, right on his nose. Jake rubbed his sore nose, still in dragon form.

"Dude, do you think that a locked door can stop the American Dragon?" said Jake, annoyed. He tried to bust open the door, but failed. The dragon heard Huntsgirl's taunting voice from the other side of the door.

"That door is sealed shut by magic. There's no way to get it open."

And she was right. Try as he might, Jake simply could not get the door to budge. Sighing, he started across the room to see if there was another way out. On the way, though, he tripped over a rope that he hadn't seen before. Suddenly, with an odd swishing sound, something came falling from the air, and Jake, still a dragon, felt a blinding pain in his head, and he lost consciousness.


	6. Where'd He Go?

After Thorn heard the thud of Jake falling to the floor, she went over to Monkey Fist and Huntsmaster and whispered, "I've done it. The American Dragon is out like a light."

"Very good," said Monkey Fist, not seeming to care in the least that Huntsman was still eyeing him enviously. "Now, we have to continue with my-"

"-our," interjected Huntsman irritably.

"Whatever," said Monkey Fist, then continued. "We will deal with these other fools later. For now, though, Monkey Ninjas, retreat!" Instantly, the scores of monkeys that had been furiously attacking Lao Shi, Kim, Ron, and Rufus (and were very near to winning), stopped mid-punch and returned to their master.

"Another day, dragon," vowed Huntsman evilly.

"Another day, Kim Possible," echoed Monkey Fist, and Huntsman used his staff to make himself, Thorn, and Monkey Fist disappear into thin air. Jake, who was still in the back room, out cold, disappeared as well.

"Why did he just tell them to stop?" Kim wondered aloud.

"It is very odd," said Lao Shi thoughtfully.

"Dude, it's not odd, it's freaky!" said Ron.

"Freaky!" squeaked Rufus, then scurried back into Ron's pants pocket.

"I mean," Ron continued, "Monkey Fist has never just 'quit' before, especially when he's winning, and, come to think of it, that's never happened before either."

"Yeah, but it's not like you didn't help tremendously, Ron," said Kim sarcastically.

"Well, Kim, can you blame me? I mean, everybody fears monkeys!"

"No, Ron, that's just you."

"I'll stick to my theory!" Ron said defensively.

Lao Shi broke up the argument with a small "ahem." He was now in human form, and he had a rather worried look on his face.

"I've just noticed - Jake is not here with us at the moment. Have either of you seen him?"

"No, I haven't," said Kim worriedly.

"Nope," said Ron, and Rufus climbed out of his owner's pocket long enough to shake his head no, then went right back to his hiding spot.

Kim whipped out the Kimmunicator and contacted Wade. "Hey, Kim, what's the sitch?" said Wade, then chuckled. "That felt really cool," he said, grinning.

"Wade! That's my line!" said Kim, frowning, but then she continued. "Jake's missing."

"What'dya mean he's missing?"

"Well, while we were fighting Monkey Fist's 'new and improved' monkey ninjas, Jake was fighting that girl in green."

Ron suddenly interrupted. "You know, have you ever wondered why all the girl ninjas seem to wear green? I mean, think about it. Sheego, that chick in the green... weird, huh?" Rufus shook his head yes.

"Ron, this is serious!" scolded Kim, then continued. "Anyway, we were so involved in fighting those monkey freaks that we didn't see where Jake went. Then the green-girl came and whispered something to Monkey Fist. Then he called off the monkey ninjas, and they disappeared."

"Kim, this is bad," said Wade.

"Ya think?"

"No, listen. Didn't you hear what I said earlier? When I spied on Monkey Fist and Huntsman, they said something about wanting to unmask and capture the American Dragon. Then they must have sensed that it was possible for someone to be spying on them, so Huntsman must have reinforced security with magic, and I lost my feed. Point is, you should have paid better attention to me when I told you that, and you should have kept a closer eye on Jake. After they find out who he really is, they plan to..." he paused, then said, "You know what? Never mind that. His fighting Huntsgirl was obviously part of their plan. I just wish I could predict what they're planning next. But they could have transported him anywhere."

"Can't you find him though, Wade? With all your NASA spy-tech stuff?" asked Ron in confusion.

"I told you. They must have felt that they were being spied on, so they reinforced their security with magic. I can't get anything on them. You'll have to track him down yourselves. Tell you what," he said, trying to be helpful. "I know a good place to start. There's a door in the back of the room. Why don't you check there? Maybe they left a clue or something. But hurry. Who knows what they'll do to him. Monkey Fist thought up this plan, and you know how ruthless he can be. Good luck, guys, and Lao Shi," he said to tired and worried old man, "I'm sure your grandson will be fine." Then under his breath, he added, "I hope."


	7. What Happened to Jake

The first thing Jake was aware of was a soft ticking noise.  _Tick… Tock... Tick... Tock..._ Then he heard voices. He listened, but kept his eyes shut. His head was pounding fiercely, and he didn't feel like opening his eyes. "Why can't we just reveal his identity right now so that I can get the amulet and leave?" he heard a whiny voice say. It continued, "I have done remarkably well in helping you capture this dragon fellow, and I think that I should get my reward."

"Not until his identity is revealed." Jake couldn't mistake that voice. It was the Huntsman. Fear washed over him, but he remained silent.

"But why not do it now?"

"I want him to be awake when we find out who he really is. It'll be harder for him to bear."

Another voice then piped up. It was Huntsgirl. "Look, he moved. He's faking it." Jake winced. He had hoped that they wouldn't notice that he had shifted slightly. His position was extremely uncomfortable; he could not move his arms, and his head was still hurting terribly.

"You're right, Huntsgirl. Open your eyes, Dragon. You cannot fool us anymore," said Huntsman.

Groaning, Jake opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was a large clock on one side of the room. It was what had been ticking. Such unimportant details seem to draw your attention! Then he took in how desperate his situation was. He was in a small metal cage with his hands shackled behind his back. Huntsman, Huntsgirl, Monkey Fist, and the Monkey Ninjas were surrounding him.

"Now that you cannot escape, Dragon," said Monkey Fist, "we shall reveal your true identity, Huntsgirl here will slay you, and then I'll get my amulet and leave... correct,  _Huntsmaster_?" He said Huntsman's name dramatically and bowed with a flourish.

"Do not mock me!" roared Huntsman, his red eyes gleaming angrily.

"I'm not!" shouted Monkey Fist. Then he added, "At least, not much."

"Y'all havin' problems?" Jake had not fully recovered, but he had some of his old cocky self back.

"Shut up!" the two villains screeched at the same time.

Monkey Fist took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this. Do you have the Identity Potion? The one that will show us who he really is?"

Jake gulped. But then, Huntsman said, "I thought you had it."

"No, I was too busy planning your revenge for you! I thought we agreed that you would go to the Magical Black Market and retrieve it."

"Why I ought to..." Huntsman was extremely furious.

"Listen," Huntsgirl said sternly, "I'll go get the potion. My Huntstick will transport me to the Black Market almost instantly. I'll be back within the hour." And with a flash of green light, she disappeared.

"Like uncle like niece," muttered Huntsman.

"Yes, you both do love to have control over things."

At that, they started yelling at each other once again, but I think it would be a waste of time to record all that was said. After their argument was solved, they stood in silence while waiting for Huntsgirl. Anticipation hung in the air. Soon the identity of the American Dragon would be revealed.


	8. The First Clue

Kim, Ron, Rufus, and Lao Shi examined the back room thoroughly. They did not find anything for a while, but then Kim exclaimed, "Here's something!" She held up something small, shiny, red, and round. "I think it's a scale!"

"Yes," said Lao Shi, joining the teenagers and the naked mole rat. "That belongs to Jake. We know that he was here."

"Yeah, but that's not gonna help us... right?" asked Ron, confused.

"Maybe..." said Kim slowly, thoughtfully. "I'll call Wade and see if he has any ideas." She got out the Kimmunicator. "Hey Wade," she said as soon as the boy appeared on the screen.

"Any luck?" Wade asked anxiously.

"You know, this is so ironic," said Ron suddenly. "Usually it's us asking Wade if he's had any luck, but like, now it's us asking him. Weird, huh?"

"Whatever," muttered Wade, looking annoyed. Then he spoke to Kim. "Well, Kim?"

"We found a scale. Is there any way you can use it to find him?"

"Alright, Kim!" said Wade with unusual enthusiasm. "Sorry. Just got a little excited there. Anyway... yes, there is, actually."

"How?" asked Ron, Kim, Lao Shi, and Rufus in unison.

"It's simple," stated Wade. "All I have to do is take Jake's DNA and scan it onto the global positioning system, and search for a being that has that exact DNA, and I'll find Jake."

"But why didn't you just do that before? I mean, we could've gone to Jake's house and got a piece of hair out of his brush or something," said Ron, confused.

"Just think," said Wade. "He was a dragon when he disappeared. His scales and hair have different DNA. If I put in a piece of hair, it would not do anything. Anyway, thanks Kim. Just put it on the slide in the Kimmunicator, and I'll have it analyzed and will have found Jake within two hours or so."

"Two hours!" exclaimed Kim. "But Monkey Fist and that Hunts... Hunts... that other guy could have already found out who he is! By the time we find him, he could be-" she stopped short, though, seeing Lao Shi's anxious face. "I mean, can't you go any faster?"

"Sorry, Kim, but these things take time," said Wade. "Why don't you go back to his house and tell his mom? I'm sure she'll want to know what happened. I'll give you a beep when I find out." And he was gone.

Ron was confused, again. "Why do we just tell his mom? Why not his dad?"

"Jake's father does not know about the existence of magical creatures. It is a long story, too long to tell now. Anyway, it is lucky for us that he is out on a business meeting today. So we shall return to my daughter's house, and let her know what happened to Jake. She will worry, but if we do not tell her, and she finds out later, she will be extremely mad. And you do not want to get on her bad side."

"Hey, that's kinda like Kim!" Ron piped up, but became silent at the angry look on Kim's face. "Okay, let's go tell his mom."

"Okay," said Kim. Then she muttered under her breath, "I just hope that he'll be alive when we find him."


	9. Jake Is in BIG Trouble!

It had been half an hour since Huntsgirl had left. Monkey Fist and Huntsman had gone outside of the room to talk, and the Monkey Ninjas were left to guard Jake.

Jake struggled vainly against the chains that shackled his arms behind his back. He had always bragged that nothing ever scared him; he was, after all, the American Dragon.

But now, he had to admit to himself that he was feeling fear. Cold, icy, relentless fear that was tearing through his entire body, cutting through his very bones.

He couldn't believe that his grandfather hadn't showed up yet.  _G's, like, always here on time,_ he thought. He sighed, then turned to a Monkey Ninja. "Hey, monkey!" he whispered. The primate turned its head in his direction. "Yeah, you! If you let me out, then I'll give you a nice, yummy banana. How's about that?" The monkey merely turned its head. "Dude!" muttered Jake to himself. "I've gotta get outta here! If they find out who I am...well..." He tried not to think about his possible fate. He had never been in so much trouble before.

The time that an Oracle had told him that he would be hit by a boulder going 180 miles per hour had been pretty scary. But in the end, he had been flying at a speed of 179 miles per hour, so the boulder hit him with an impact of a mere one mile per hour. There was also the time when he had misused a special shape shifting power. His plan to fool the Huntsclan failed, and he was captured by them as pop-sensation Jeron McArthur. But he was rescued by Lao Shi right before they found out his identity.

Then he realized that his mom must be pretty worried about him, if they had even told her.

He remembered that Kim and Ron had a super genius friend, Wally, or something. Maybe he could help Jake out of his terrible situation.

Once again, Jake tried to free himself, but his efforts were fruitless. He had to escape. All of a sudden, he heard the sound of something appearing out of thin air, and there stood Huntsgirl, holding a bottle with blood red fluid inside. Monkey Fist and Huntsman had apparently heard it as well, because at that moment, they re-entered the room.

"Do you have it?" asked Huntsman in a sinister voice.

"Yes, I do," the girl said with an evil look in her blue eyes. "We just pour this onto Dragon-boy, and after thirty minutes, the effects will take place, and we will see who he really is."

Jake tried his hardest to free his arms. The villains only sneered. "Struggle all you want," said Monkey Fist. "Soon, you will be slain, Huntsman will be avenged, and I will be the ultimate monkey master. Huntsgirl, hand me that potion. It is time... Mua-ha-ha!"

Jake gulped and struggled harder than ever as the trio advanced toward him. Where could his rescuers be?


	10. What Does Mom Think?

Mrs. Long had had a fairly normal day. She had gotten up early to make breakfast. A few minutes later, Haley, her seven-year-old daughter, had skipped down the stairs talking excitedly about a project she was going to do in school today. After a while, when Jake had not gotten up, she had climbed the stairs and knocked loudly on his bedroom door, ordering him to get up. He claimed that he had not heard the alarm, but she, as a mother, knew better.

With Jake and Haley at school, she had set to her normal duties of housekeeping. Haley arrived home from school exactly on time, but Jake did not come. His mother didn't worry, however, for he was supposed to have dragon training today. If he was late for dinner, though, he would be in serious trouble, she decided.

After dinner was over, Mrs. Long was beginning to worry about her son. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. It was her father, along with two teenagers, one which she recognized as the world famous teen hero Kim Possible.

"Dad!" she said. "Hi. I see you have some new friends. This, I know is Kim Possible, but I am not sure who you are, son."

"It's Ron," said Ron flatly. "Ron Stoppable. The distraction." He was tired of people not knowing who he was.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said. "Do come in. Dinner just ended, but I can get more if you like."

"No, we're fine," said Kim, as Haley ran into the room.

"Hi!" she said. "I'm Haley. You're Kim Possible. I wanna be just like you when I grow up!"

"Oh, she is so cute!" Kim cooed. As they sat down in the living room, however, she remembered why they were there in the first place.

"Dad, where's Jake?" Mrs. Long asked after Haley had run upstairs to get ready for bed.

"That is why we are here," the old man sighed.

"What? Is Jake okay?"

"I am afraid not," Lao Shi said heavily. Then he explained what had happened.

"Well, you've got to find him!" Mrs. Long said, eyes filling with tears. "You've got to! No matter what it takes! No matter!"

"We shall do our best," Lao Shi said truthfully. And although he did not say it aloud to his sobbing daughter, he thought,  _I just hope that our best is good enough._


	11. Jake's First Dose of Real Fear

There was a loud  _pop!_ as Huntsgirl took the lid off of the bottle. The red potion inside gleamed menacingly, and Jake shrank away from it. After the lid was off, she handed the bottle to Monkey Fist. "Here you are," she said respectfully, then she backed away.

"No!" said Huntsmaster as Monkey Fist advanced toward Jake.

" _What is it?"_ the irritated man said, turning on a hairy heel.

"He is  _my_  arch-nemesis," began Huntsman, "and  _I_  am the one who vowed revenge, and I believe that  _I_  should be the one to pour the potion on this pathetic life-form." He did not notice the glare he received from Jake, who was extremely ticked off at being called a "pathetic life-form." But the evil man did notice the venomous look that Monkey Fist gave him.

"Excuse me, sir," said the monkey man-wanna-be, "but you called me, asking for  _my_ help in your revenge, did you not? It only stands to reason that to finish what I started, I must pour the potion on this - this... dirt bag!"

Jake was now getting extremely annoyed at these villains calling him names, so he spoke up, despite the fact that it wasn't a very good idea in the slightest. "Yo, freak-o's," he said, "if you're mad at each other, why not call each other nasty names instead of takin' it out on me, huh?"

"Shut up!" both men screeched. This made them remember the cause of their argument in the first place. They looked at each other with looks of extreme annoyance and dislike, but then declared, "We shall do it together." So, both villains advanced toward Jake, the potion held high between them.

Jake shrank back to the back of the cage. What could he do? Surely Grandpa or someone would arrive. He looked expectantly toward the door, but no one came.

The villains followed his gaze. Huntsman laughed softly. "Oh, don't bother yourself about your little friends, Dragon," he said, "for there is no way for them to find you. Their little 'cyber buddy' has no way to trace us now; we are magically protected from any spying devices. We will find out your true identity, and then, yes, dragon, you shall die." And then, chuckling evilly, the two bad guys poured the potion into Jake's face, and then stared at the dragon in anticipation.

Five minutes passed. "Nothing's happening!" shrieked Monkey Fist in annoyance. "Why is nothing happening?"

"Did you not hear what I said?" asked Huntsgirl, who hadn't spoken since the argument. "Since you two forgot to get it ahead of time, they were fresh out of the instant-working stuff. This potion slowly drains the power out of any magical creature over a period of thirty minutes." She took the bottle from Monkey Fist. "What? You gave him all of it? Mr. Fist, this is extremely powerful stuff! I suppose it is my fault, as I failed to mention that if you give it all to him at one time. Yes, he will be rendered powerless, but then it will continue to drain him of power! The power of life! If I am to become part of the Huntsclan, I must slay him. He can't die by poison! I'll never be part of the Huntsclan now."

"Yes, you will," said Huntsman, glaring at Monkey Fist. "You retrieved the potion, did you not? Without it, the dragon would not die, so it stands to reason that you killed him. Since you got the potion, you will be the reason behind his death, so you shall be a part of the clan."

Jake, who was already feeling weaker by the second, felt an ice-cold sickness crawl into his stomach and stay there. And it wasn't from the potion. It was fear, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. There was no hope for him now.


	12. Wade's Call

Everything in the Long residence was silent. No one spoke except for an occasional condolence to Mrs. Long or Lao Shi. Haley had been sent up to bed with no knowledge of what had happened to her brother. Suddenly, Mrs. Long stood up, not able to bear it any longer.

"What do you three think you're doing?"

"Excuse me?" said Kim.

"You're just sitting there, not even trying to help him! He's your grandson, for Pete's sake!" She directed this comment at Lao Shi.

"Listen, I am just as worried about Jake as you are, but there is nothing we can do until Wade calls back with his location."

"You could look!"

"Daughter, he could be anywhere."

"I don't care! Look  _everywhere_!"

Tears filled the elderly man's eyes, but his voice remained steady. "Darling, I promise you, if there was anything we could do, we would do it. Do you not understand? Jake was on my watch when he was kidnapped. Does that not make you think that I am upset? I feel as if it is my fault that Jake's life is in danger."

At his words, Mrs. Long let out a small gasp followed by a series of sobs that cut through the old man's heart.

"I'm sorry," he said, touching his daughter tenderly on her shoulder. "I only pretended not to be so worried for you. I know that you love Jake dearly... as do I. I may seem hard on the outside, but I really am worried more than you can possibly imagine. But do not worry. I sent Fu Dog to the magical black market to do some spying. He should be back anytime... maybe he will have some information for us."

They all sat in silence for a while when the doorbell rang. Kim, seeing that Mrs. Long was too distressed to get it, and that Lao Shi was busy comforting his daughter, ran to get it. There stood Fu Dog on the front porch.

"Oh, good," said Kim sarcastically, who was expecting someone of a bigger help, or maybe, she thought, in a corner of her mind, Jake himself. "It's the talking dog."

"Back off, Kimmy," he said, letting himself in. He walked into the living room where he saw Lao Shi and his daughter, as well as Ron, who had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly. "Hey, Gramps," he said. "I think I might have found out something that'll help you." He continued at Lao Shi's inquiring look. "Okay, while I was at the magical black market, I saw the Huntsgirl. She went up to a potions shop and came out with a power-stealing potion! A whole bottle of it! And you know what that means, if they give him the whole thing..."

"We must act fast," Lao Shi said, standing up.

Kim shook Ron awake, who screamed, "NO MORE MONKEYS!" before saying, "Oh, hi Kim. Is Jake back yet?"

"We must go and make a potion," Lao Shi said to Mrs. Long. "That is all I can say for now, but I will contact you as soon as we find out anything." And with that, Ron, Kim, Lao Shi, Rufus, and Fu Dog left for the electronics shop where Lao Shi kept many magical things.

"So what is this potion we're making for?" Kim asked.

"No, Fu Dog and I are making the potion, and you and Ronald are waiting for Wade to call with Jake's location."

"But what is it for?" Kim asked.

Lao Shi sighed. "It is a reverse potion for the power-stealing potion. When we find Jake, we must give it to him. If they only gave him half of the other, it will have taken away his dragon powers. This will reverse that effect. But if they gave him the whole bottle... it will act as a poison, draining the power of life from him as well. This should reverse the effect, but we do not know because it has never been used by us in a life and death crisis. Either way, the potion is an easy one to make, so we will have it finished in ten minutes or so. Your friend Wade should call soon, so you and your friend are to wait for him." And Fu Dog and Lao Shi retreated into the back of the shop.

Ten minutes later, Lao Shi and Fu came out with a small bottle of clear blue potion. "We have it," said Lao Shi. "Has your friend called yet?"

Before Kim could answer, the Kimmunicator rang. "Hey, Wade, what up?"

"I've got his coordinates. He's in an old abandoned above ground tomb, not far from where you now are, in the Monsessor Graveyard... said to be haunted. Anyway, Kim, you guys had better hurry. His signal is growing weaker by the second."

"What does that mean?" Ron asked.

"It means," spoke up Lao Shi, "that he himself is getting weaker. And if we do not reach him soon..." His voice choked, and then he said, "Let us go. Jake's life is depending on us. He is alive for now..." and then he added almost inaudibly, "but not for long..."

 


	13. Rose's Choice

Jake was already half human. During the first fifteen minutes after he had been given the potion, his feet and legs had turned back into human form. But Jake didn't feel like he usually did when he went back to human form; he felt strangely weak. He knew that it was because of the potion, and if help didn't come soon, he would die.

He took a shallow breath. He watched sadly as his arms turned from dragon to human. He could still not get his arms out of the shackles, however, because as his arms shrank back to normal size, the shackles shrank with them. He was too weak to even try to escape, though.

It had been twenty-five minutes. The only part of Jake that was yet to turn into human form was his head. And that was about to change. Huntsman, Monkey Fist, Huntsgirl, and the Monkey Ninjas watched in anticipation as Jake's head slowly morphed into human form.

"No!" gasped Huntsgirl, staring at Jake.

Jake's vision was getting blurry; he could not think properly. He fell to the floor of the cage, barely conscious. His breaths were shallow and uneven, and he felt himself getting weaker by the minute. And, try as he might, he could not fully comprehend what the voices around him were saying, so he stopped trying and lay quiet and still, once again only aware of the persistent ticking sound from the clock in the corner.

But there was conversation going on around him. As soon as Huntsgirl saw who the dragon was, she turned to Huntsmaster with a pleading expression in her tear filled eyes. "Master, can't we give him the antidote? I - I don't think I can handle seeing him… d-d-" She could not bear to finish her sentence.

The two older villains looked at her disapprovingly. "I suspect you know this young fellow, do you not?" Huntsmaster asked, showing no pity in his relentless red eyes.

"Y-yes, sir," Huntsgirl said, looking longingly at Jake, who lay on the bottom of the cage. She continued, her voice stronger than ever. Huntsgirl couldn't just sit back and watch Jake Long die. She cared for him, and she would stop this.

"Give me the antidote," she said.

"NO!" roared Huntsman angrily.

"Then you leave me no choice," the girl said. She looked directly into Huntsman's red eyes and said, "I quit the Huntsclan."

Anger showed in the villains' eyes, but before they could do anything, they heard a voice from the door.

"Did I just hear that right? A bad guy going good? Wow, I really need to have my hearing checked." It was Kim, accompanied by Lao Shi, Ron, Rufus, and Fu. All eyes were on Huntsgirl. She sank to the floor, sobbing. Then she fainted.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Ron, frowning.

"I dunno," said Kim. "I think she's just got a lot of pressure on her right now." Then she turned to Monkey Fist. "Where's Jake?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" the monkey-man said, pointing to the cage where Jake lay.

"Oh, no!" gasped Kim. "Are we too late?"

Just then the Kimmunicator rang. "Kim!" said Wade. "Jake's signal is fading fast! If you don't give him the potion within the next thirty seconds, it'll be too late!"

"I'm on it!" said Kim. She started toward the cage, potion in hand, but Monkey Fist, Huntsman, and the Monkey Ninjas barred her way. Kim desperately fought them. She had to reach Jake in time.

Lao Shi was furious. He was not going to just sit here while his grandson was weakening by the second. He turned into a dragon, and then, roaring ferociously, picked up Monkey Fist and Huntsman in his gigantic claws and threw them across the room. They hit the wall, then stumbled up, rubbing their sore heads, but were too stunned to stop Kim from using this distraction to hurtle across the Monkey Ninjas and land by Jake's side. She pulled the lid off the bottle, and poured it on Jake's unmoving face.

"NO!" screamed Monkey Fist and Huntsman in unison. Then Huntsman smiled evilly. "I guess I'll just have to finish him off myself," he said, moving toward Jake, who had not yet moved, still unconscious. He pointed his Huntstick at the helpless boy, but stopped short when he saw Lao Shi advancing toward him. Remembering what had happened in his last encounter with the dragon, he retreated toward Monkey Fist. Before anyone could stop him, he used his Huntstick to make Monkey Fist and himself disappear into thin air, leaving the unconscious Huntsgirl behind. He did not leave, however, without the usual vow of, "We will meet again, Dragon."

Kim then busied herself with trying to unchain Jake, whose condition still hadn't improved. She rattled the bars of the cage, but they wouldn't budge. "Hey, Lao Shi!" she yelled across the room. "C'mere!"

The dragon morphed back into his human form and walked across the room, an extremely worried expression on his face. "How is he?" he asked.

"I don't know," answered Kim truthfully. "I just can't believe we let this happen to him. I'm scared that we might have been too late. He hasn't improved any, but he hasn't really gotten any worse either."

"That is a good sign. This potion may take a while to kick in. As long as he doesn't get any worse, he should be okay." But although his words were comforting, his tone suggested that he was still extremely worried about Jake.

There was an awkward silence, which Kim broke. "Uh, the real reason I called you over here is because I can't get this cage door open. We need to get him out of there."

"Ah, this metal is reinforced with special magic. Only a key will open it." He looked distressed once again. "We do not have one. I suppose that we will have to-"

He did not get to finish his sentence, however, because at that moment Huntsgirl woke up. Slowly sitting up and rubbing her head, she declared, "I have the spare keys."

Kim, Ron, Rufus, and Fu looked at her untrustingly. "Look, I'm sorry," the girl began. "I - I just didn't know that Jake-" she paused, staring sadly at Jake's unconscious form, "-Jake was the American Dragon. The truth is, I never really, you know, wanted to slay magical creatures in the first place. I mean, I learned to like it a little because I thought-" she choked on her sobs, but then continued, "-I thought that it was my destiny. But I really like Jake, and when I saw that it was him, I - I realized that this couldn't be my destiny - I care too much about J-Jake for it t-to b-be." She then burst into sobs of pure anguish. "Now he might d-die and it's all m-my f-f-fault!"

Kim, who could tell that she was sincere, put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Okay, why don't you unlock the cage? I'm sorry that you feel that this is your fault-"

"Although it mostly is," cut in Ron, but shut up at the annoyed look Kim shot at him.

"Listen," said Kim, "you made the right decision tonight. You really must not have been a real villain for you to turn on the dark side so easily. I think that you really must have been forced into this -because I have met some villains who even turned against their own family."

Huntsgirl, who still had her mask on, nodded. Lao Shi did not want to trust this girl, but felt that he had to, for he could see how sincere she was. "Well, we must not stand around here any longer. We need to get Jake out of here and into a safe place," he said. Then he turned to Huntsgirl. "Why don't you take off your mask first, though? I would like to know who you really are."

Huntsgirl took a deep breath, and pulled off her mask. "My name is Rose," the girl said. "I really like Jake, but I do not see how he can ever like me again after what I have done." Tears filled her sparkling eyes.

"I do not think you will have to worry about that. Jake can be a forgiving person, and he really cares for you. He talks about you constantly."

"Really?" Rose said, drying her eyes.

"Really really," said Lao Shi.

Rose took the keys and unlocked the cage door. Then she took another key and unlocked the shackles around Jake's wrists. Lao Shi, in dragon form, picked up Jake, and they left the graveyard and went back to the Long residence. Fu at first suggested taking him to the electronic shop, but Lao Shi said that the best thing for Jake now would be his own bed and for his mother to know what had happened. "Actually," he added, "that would be the best for all of us."

It did not take much pleading for them to allow Rose to come along as well, for she was as worried as the rest of them.

Lou Shi dropped Fu off at the shop because the dog had some things to attend to. When Lou Shi, with Jake, Kim, Ron, Rufus, and Rose arrived on the Longs' front porch, there was silence. Two questions bounced around in everyone's minds; one being "what will Mrs. Long do when she sees Jake?" The most pressing of all, however was, "Will Jake be okay?"


	14. What Mrs. Long Thinks

There was a scream as Mrs. Long opened the door. "Jake!" she cried. Tears filled her eyes. She looked at Lao Shi, a mournful expression on her face and asked, "Is - is he okay?"

The old man sighed. "I could tell you a lie like, 'Yes, I am absolutely positive that he is okay and that he will be up and about in no time... but the truth is ...we do not know."

Mrs. Long gasped, but then made a valid attempt to recover. "Okay," she said, wiping a fresh flow of tears from her eyes. "Okay," she repeated, "let's get him into bed. Quickly, though, because his father will be home soon." She then sucked in her breath sharply and inquired, "What will we tell him?"

"We'll think of something," Kim assured her, glancing at Jake's motionless form. She then said, "C'mon, let's get him inside." Together, they managed to get Jake into the house, up the stairs, and into his bed.

There was then an awkward silence, which was broken by Rose, who had been silent the whole time. "He's gotta be okay!" she suddenly sobbed, then sunk to her knees.

Mrs. Long jumped. "Oh, dear," she said kindly, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder, "I didn't notice you there. Who... are you?"

"Please," sobbed Rose, then took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "Please," she said again; she was no longer crying, but her voice was still shaking slightly. "Don't try to comfort me. Jake m-might d-d ... well, he might not s-survive, and it's all my f-f-fault!" She said this with so much emotion that everyone was surprised and felt bad for the girl. Tears were streaming down her pale face, and her whole body shook with sobs.

Mrs. Long didn't have time to feel for the girl, however, for she had another thing on her mind. "What do you mean, it's all your fault?"

"I'm H-Huntsgirl," she said miserably.

"WHAT?" Mrs. Long screamed, anger showing profoundly. She glared at the girl, and then turned to Lao Shi, Kim, and Ron. "You three!" she yelped, making them all jump. "You let her in this house... after what she did to Jake? How could you? I thought you said you cared but you don't! Why I oughta..." She had no chance to finish, however, because there was a sudden movement from the bed. Jake had moved his hand, and his eyes open for a second. But they did not take in any of his surroundings. The only thing he noticed was...

"Rose?" he muttered sleepily, then lost consciousness again. Everyone was silent. Mrs. Long looked at Rose, amazed.

Then she said, "He's okay. And you - you're?" She could not comprehend the situation. She shook her head, and turned to Kim. "Kim, you stay and watch Jake. Dad, you, Ron, and this 'Rose' girl come downstairs with me. We have some things to discuss. And many explanations need to be given. Oh, and Kim, any movement: tell us. But before we do anything: I need some Tylenol." And with that, she left the room.

The Long residence had a slightly different atmosphere that evening. Everyone was a bit happier. Jake was more than likely going to be okay! But as they sat down in the living room where stories were exchanged, and apologies were accepted, one question gnawed at everyone's mind. What would happen when Mr. Long came home?


	15. We Need to Talk

"I still don't think I can trust you," Mrs. Long stated. Rose hung her head.

"I know a way that we can tell if Rose really has turned from evil to good," said Lao Shi suddenly. "Take off your glove." He directed this order to Rose.

"What? My glove? Why?"

"Please, just do it." The girl pulled off her left glove and shrugged.

"So?" she said.

"No, no, no, no, no!" said the old man. "The other one."

"What? You mean the one with the mark? But - but I...it makes me think of the Huntsclan, and how Jake almost... well..."

"I know what I am talking about," said the man shortly.

"Ok…ay," the girl agreed reluctantly. She took off her right glove and gasped at what she saw. Or rather, at what she didn't see. "The mark of the Huntsclan! It's gone!" Tears of joy shone in her eyes.

"Very good," said Lao Shi. "You have truly turned to good from evil." He turned to his daughter. "See, darling?"

The woman smiled slightly. "Well, I-" She was cut short as the doorbell rang.

"Oh, no!" said Ron. "I hope it's not the dad! I mean, we haven't thought of a cover-up yet!" He paused, and then said, "Is it him?"

"No, he would have just come barging in, probably singing some goofy song," Mrs. Long said with a slight smile. Then she answered the door.

There stood two kids: one was a tom-boy looking girl with milky-chocolate skin. Her purple highlighted hair was pulled into two frizzy pigtails, and her black eyes had a sort of "I-don't-care" attitude about them. The other was a boy, who was a little taller than his companion, with brown hair highlighted blonde and gelled into spikes on top of his head. He was playing with a yo-yo. It was Jake's best buds in the whole world, Trixie and Spud.

"Hey, Jake's mom," said the boy, Spud, a stupid grin on his freckled face. "We just like, totally came to see Jake. He like hasn't been here, ya know, 'cuz we totally hit the skate park and we were there, but Jake, like, wasn't..."

"What Spud's tryna say," Trixie interjected, "is that Jake hasn't been 'round much lately. I mean, Mr. Rotwood's like totally been trippin' in class 'cuz Jake hasn't been there. Ya feel me?"

Ron, curious, came to the door. "Who's that?" he asked.

"Ahhh!" screamed Spud, looking a Rufus, who was perched on Ron's shoulder. "What is that?"

"Dude," said Ron, "can you not tell a naked mole rat when you see one?"

"Oh, dude, I didn't know that was it. I just thought that it was a mole rat that was naked. Awkward..."

"So where's Jake?" Trixie cut in.

"He's... well, he's... why don't you come inside, and we'll talk, okay?" Mrs. Long said to Trixie and Spud.

The friends glanced at each other uncertainly, but said nothing. "The thing is," said Mrs. Long, "that something happened... to... him," she said, then turned to Lao Shi. "I don't think I can bear to tell this. Or hear it again, for that matter. I'll go upstairs with Kim until you're done." And she walked out of the room, saying, "Oh, by the way, Haley knows now. She's up with Kim."

"Who's Kim?" asked Spud.

"No one," said Rose, rolling her blue eyes.

"Rose!" said Trixie. "What're you doin' here, girl? An'... why are ya dressed up...like that?"

"It's a long story," said Rose, and with the help of Lao Shi, Ron, and occasionally Rufus, Trixie and Spud learned what had happened.

"Oh no!" said Spud. "Poor Jake! And poor Rose! Well, it could have been worse. I mean, you could have almost killed Jake... wait, oh..."

"So...is Jakie gonna be a'ight?" Trixie asked uncertainly.

"Yes," said Kim, who had just appeared at the top of the stairs.

"AHHHHH!" squealed Spud. "IT'S KIM POSSIBLE, TRIX! LIKE, THE KIM POSSIBLE! I AM SO PSYCHED!" Then he smiled and said, "Hi, Kim, I'm Spud."

"Right," said Kim. "Well, it seems like the potion is working. It's just slow acting. He woke up, and his mom said that you guys will be able to come and see him in a few moments."

Nobody had noticed that Mr. Long and slipped in during the last part of Kim's speech. "See who?" he asked, and everyone jumped. "Holy cow!" he exclaimed, seeing that the speaker was Kim. "It's Kim Possible. Nice to meet you. Now what were you saying about seeing someone? Who?"

At that moment, Haley came skipping down the stairs, closely followed by Mrs. Long. "Hi, Daddy!" she said. "Jake's hurt really bad upstairs, and he almost died, and it's all because he was stupid and got himself kid-" Mrs. Long quickly shushed her daughter and smiled innocently at her husband.

"What's all this about?" Mr. Long asked. "Jake almost died? What?" He had a confused look on his face.

"Um, Haley is exaggerating, honey," Mrs. Long said, giving her daughter a sharp look. "He... er... had a little ...um," she paused, and her eyes fell on Jake's skateboard which he had left in the middle of the floor, "...accident," she said. "Yes, he fell off his skateboard and we took him to the doctor, and he got a mild... um... concussion, and he's awake now, though, and feeling better."

"Holy cow!" said Mr. Long. "Why didn't you call me? If I had known that Jake was hurt, I would have come straight home. Is he in bed? Let me go see him!" And with that, he hurried up the stairs, the others close behind him.

"Jake?" said Mr. Long.

Jake, who was still extremely weak, struggled to sit up, but Mr. Long gently pushed him back down. "How are you feeling after the skateboarding accident, son?" he asked compassionately.

"Skateboarding?" muttered Jake, confused. "But I didn't-"

"Oh, yes you did!" said everyone else, and Jake blinked in surprise.

"Oh, right," he said, finally realizing that he needed to play along. Then he saw Rose.

"Rose, what're you-?"

The girl glanced at Jake's dad and said quietly, "I'll tell you later."

"Okay, everyone," said Mrs. Long after a few moments of congratulating Jake on his recovery, "why don't we let Jake and Rose have a few moments alone?" She cast a warning glance at Rose, however, and the girl turned red in the face. Lao Shi put a hand on his daughter's arm, and led her silently out of the room. Everyone else followed, talking among themselves.

Rose sat down in Jake's computer chair and faced him. "Jake," she said seriously, "we need to talk. There is something I need to tell you..."


	16. Rose's Choice

Jake gulped when he heard the words, "We need to talk." He happened to know that those four words were the famous break-up words.  _But we're not even officially going out, so she couldn't be breaking up with me,_ he thought, trying to comfort himself.

Rose took a deep breath and said, "First of all, I wanted to see how you are feeling. I mean, that poison was pretty strong stuff. If it hadn't been for your grandpa and Kim, you would be dead right now."

"Well, I-" began Jake, but then he realized something. "How did you know it was poison? You don't know about you know, magic... right?"

"Jake, I do," the girl said. "And I know who you are, too."

"But how-" he asked.

"I was... I was there when your identity was revealed to the Huntsclan," she said, eyes welling up with tears. It was taking all of her self-control not to burst into tears right then and there.

Jake tried to understand what she was saying. Then he looked at what she was wearing. A dark green suit with black gloves and black boots. But no, she couldn't be... "Huntsgirl?" Jake choked out. "No, you can't be her. You - you're..."

"No, I'm not!" Rose burst out, and Jake looked at her hopefully. "I mean," she continued, "I was, but I turned against the Huntsclan. I'm on your side now. See, even the 'birthmark' is gone. And I came here to beg your forgiveness. Please, Jake, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Do you hate me?"

Jake slowly shook his head. He felt nothing: no fear, no hate, no love; even the pounding headache that had resulted from his experience was gone. His whole body felt numb as he said, "No. No, you're not Huntsgirl. I can't - won't believe it."

"I told you, I'm not anymore! I've changed! Oh, Jake, I'll just die if you don't forgive me! Please, don't hate me, Jake! Please! I'm begging you!" Her eyes held a pleading expression. "Please Jake, please! I care for you!"

Suddenly all the pain and sadness of finding out that the girl he loved used to be his arch foe came pouring into his heart. Jake rolled over and faced the wall so he wouldn't have to look into Rose's eyes. "I can't believe I ever trusted you," he said coldly. The numbness was gone, and now his headache had returned, but it was nothing compared to the icy disbelief and sadness that he felt in his heart.

"Jake!" Rose exclaimed sadly. "Why can't you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Rose - it's just that... well, you see, I mean - you just wouldn't understand!"

Rose's emotion finally came out and she yelled, "I wouldn't understand? I wouldn't understand? Jake, I don't think you understand! I spent my whole life working for a man that would kill me as soon as look at me, because I thought it was my destiny. But... when I saw that you were the American Dragon, I realized that it couldn't be. I turned against them. Jake, do you understand? I turned against the Huntsclan! And when you do that, it's like painting a huge sign on your forehead, saying, 'Here I am! Over here! Slay me! Kill me!' But when I saw that you were going to be okay, I thought that everything else was going to be okay, too! But... I was wrong. Maybe I should have let you die. Who knows? But guess what, Jake? Guess what? I didn't because I care for you. I just wish you felt the same way about me. Now, because of my stupidity, I don't have a place to stay or friends, and the Huntsclan and the Dragon Council are both probably on the lookout for me! Yeah, I wouldn't understand!" And with that, she ran out of the room, crying.

Jake lay there in silence for a few minutes, pondering what Rose had just said. He felt bad for the way he had treated her and was so busy wallowing in his misery that he didn't hear Kim come in. "Hey," she said, and he turned around to face her.

"That went well," the girl continued.

"Kim," said Jake seriously, "I think I made a big mistake. You're a girl. What do I do?"

"Do you want her back?" Kim asked quietly.

"I - well, I think so... I dunno," said Jake, who was still trying to work out his feelings towards the girl.

"Well, first figure out what you want. Then just follow your heart. You can't go wrong. Listen," she said, changing the subject, "Ron and I are leaving for Middleton tomorrow."

"Why?" asked Jake. He would miss having Kim around.

"I've got this huge Latin test tomorrow..."

"Latin?" snorted Jake. "You take Latin? As in the dead language?"

"Ron's idea," said Kim shortly. "I hope you'll be well enough to come see us off. You should, because your grandpa said that if you get at least eight hours of sleep tonight, you should be better by tomorrow. Well, I guess you'd better get some rest. See ya."

Jake couldn't get Rose out of his mind. He realized that he had made a huge mistake, and only he could fix it. The next day at school, he would apologize. He fell asleep with an image of Rose's pretty face in his sore head.

 


	17. Talking with Rose

When Jake awoke the next morning, he had a terrible headache. He tried to ignore it, though. He had to convince his mom that he was well enough to go to school - he had to talk to Rose. He groaned as he got out of bed and put on his blue jeans and red shirt, and ran a comb through his thick black hair. His head was pounding, and his arms were sore from not being able to move for so long. He also felt weaker than he usually did, like he could drop at any moment. But he ignored all his symptoms and slowly went downstairs and took a seat in the kitchen. He was surprised to see not only his mom, dad, and sister at the table, but also Lao Shi, Kim, Ron, and Rufus.

"Yo, guys," he greeted them, then turned to his mom. "Hey, after we go see Kim and Ron off, I want to go to school. I... feel like it."

"You're wanting to talk to Rose, aren't you?" Mrs. Long inquired. Jake nodded.

"Who is this Rose girl, anyway?" asked Mr. Long. "Why did you two get in a fight yesterday?"

"She... did something that I didn't approve of," Jake said.

"Well... if you're sure you feel like it... I guess I can drop you off on the way back from the airport," Jake's mom conceded hesitantly.

Before they left the house, however, Lao Shi pulled Jake aside. "Listen, Jake. There is something you need to know. Rose could be in danger of the Dragon Council."

"What - what'dya mean?"

"She broke the law of the Dragon Council - she hunted dragons and other magical creatures. She is essentially an outlaw. If the Dragon Council finds out that she has revealed her identity, she could be put in jail, or worse."

"Yo, what do I do?"

"Do your best not to let the Dragon Council know of her. Normally I would tell them, but considering that she risked her life to save yours..." He cleared his throat. "They will find out eventually, but we will do our absolute best to protect her, and fight for her cause if we have to. For now though, make amends and savor your friendship."

"A'ight, G, whatever you say," Jake said, feeling really worried about Rose.

After Kim, Ron, and Rufus said their good-byes and left on the flight back to Middleton, Mrs. Long dropped Jake off at school. The first person he saw when he walked through the main doors was...

"Rose!" he said, walking toward her. She looked at him and asked him rather coldly, "Feeling better?"

"Uh... some," he said then said, "Rose, I - well, I'm sorry."

"I'm listening."

"See... it was just hard. I had just woken up and... then you telling me that... but I - I could see that you changed, and I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Rose bit her lip and then threw her arms around him. "Yes! Oh, Jake, I was so worried about you! If you had died... I never would have forgiven myself."

"Yeah, but we have other problems. Meet me at Centaur Bush after school. There's something I gotta tell you." And he walked away, all his problems seeming distant, but they weren't. At least not for long.


	18. The Way Things Are Supposed to Be

Centaur Bush looked like a normal bush to mortals, but the fruit it bore was not normal. Small, shimmering, silver spheres dotted the bush, but they were only visible at night. The reason it was called Centaur Bush was because the fruits attracted countless numbers of Centaurs, the amazing and beautiful half-horse, half-man creatures. Every night, many of these beautiful creatures gathered at the bush and ate the berries, and many people of the magical race came to watch the magnificent sight. If you knew anything about magic, you knew where it was.

So this is where Jake waited for Rose after school, pacing up and down in front of the bush, random thoughts darting through his mind, such as,  _What if she gets scared and runs away? I am telling her that she's in danger._ Or even,  _What if she doesn't show up?_

After five minutes of seemingly endless pacing and worrying, there was a rustle, and Rose came into sight. Jake took a deep breath, then advanced toward her. "Uh... Hey, Rose," he said awkwardly.

"Hi, Jake," she said. She seemed a little nervous too. "So... why did you ask me to meet you out here?"

"Well, there's something I've gotta tell you..."

"Go on."

"Today... before I left for school, Gramps pulled me aside, and told me..."

"Told you what?"

"He told me... that you are in danger."

Rose snorted in laughter. This wasn't the reaction he'd expected at all.

"What's so funny?" the boy asked, taken aback.

"Nothing. It's just... it's obvious, isn't it?"

"It is?"

"Well, I did turn against the Huntsclan. They're going to want revenge. But don't worry about that. I'll be fine, I can handle them."

"See, that's not all you're in danger of, though."

"What else could there be?"

"Well, G said that you were in danger of the Dragon Council. He said if they find out, you could be thrown in jail... or worse."

Rose sighed, suddenly looking well beyond her years. "At first I thought about that, but I let it go, thinking that no one would tell them that I am... was... Huntsgirl. I guess your grandfather felt it was his duty."

"No!" said Jake. "He didn't tell them!"

Rose looked up in surprise. "He didn't? But... who did?"

"No one... he just said that it was possible for them to find out, and he said that they would eventually. But he also said that when they do, we will do all that we can to protect you, and fight for you."

"Really?" Tears of gratitude shone in the girl's brilliant blue eyes. Jake was suddenly struck by the concept of how beautiful she was, and not only on the outside, but in her heart as well.

Looking into her enchanting eyes, he stammered, "He - he also said that for now, we need to savor our friendship and watch out for each other. I think it's a good idea. What about you?"

"Couldn't think of a better one myself." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips. For a few moments, Jake stood dumbfounded. Then he regained his composure and offered Rose his arm.

"Shall we?"

"We shall." Jake knew that there would be many dangers ahead of them, but as he walked along the path, holding Rose's hand, his life seemed to be perfect. He thought about how none of this would have happened if Monkey Fist and Huntsman hadn't teamed up and if Kim hadn't come to the rescue. He decided to thank her yet again the next time he talked to her.

They arrived at Trixie's house, where Rose was to stay until things got settled. "Bye, Rose," said Jake, staring once more into her amazing eyes, not wanting to look away.

"Bye, Jake, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right on!" he said. Then they kissed.

"Goodbye, Jake," said Rose, then disappeared into the house.

"See ya," replied Jake. When the door closed, he smiled brightly. He morphed into dragon form and soared off into the sunset, scales shining like rubies, elation filling his heart. Finally something had gone right. This is the way things should be.


End file.
